Using Acupuncture to Treat Lower Back Pain

The term lower back pain in Chinese medicine includes pain, aching, discomfort or weakness in one or both sides of the low thoracic, lumbar and sacral region and buttocks. The pain may radiate into the posterior or lateral thighs. The Chinese noticed that disorders affecting the kidneys often gave rise to lower back pain and thus called the lower back the 'palace of the kidneys'. In practice, this means that a large proportion of lower back aches have a component of kidney deficiency, either as a predisposing factor to back injury or as a result of chronic pathogenic influence.

​There are several specific factors that can contribute to kidney deficiency lower back pain. These include excessive physical work, particularly that involving overuse of the lumbar muscles, such as heavy lifting and bending and prolonged standing. In additions to the specific factors, the kidneys are depleted by excessive activity of any kind(the kidneys are the ultimate store of the body's energy). This is often seen in sports people and professional athletes who often use more qi in their activity than they acquire from food and rest. Runners are very prone to back aches as the physical pounding also strains the lower back.

Acupuncture is very effective for lower back pain and is the treatment of choice in acute and chronic cases.For a full discussion of the acupuncture approach to lower back pain, please consult with cho acupuncture and herbal clinic.